How the Internet has changed our lives

Change is inevitable in any field of life. As goes the popular maxim, “You cannot escape death and taxes,” I would add to that and say, “You cannot escape death, taxes, and changes.” Either it can be self-initiated change or a forced change, you can be sure it will happen.

In recent times, the Internet has heralded the most powerful medium of change in our daily lives. Gone are the traditional ways of doing things. The Internet has revolutionized daily tasks like getting the current news, and ordering groceries to monthly errands like paying our bills and transferring money.

Here is a list of areas, which have been positively impacted by the Internet:

• Banking: The Internet has transformed the way we do our banking. Banking has become so convenient, gone are the days when we had to wait to get our passbook updated. In this age of 24-hour Internet banking, it is much simpler to do cash transactions, check account balances, and transfer money, irrespective of where you are located. NEFT transfer facility allows you to transfer money between accounts, so much that the bank cheque book has become almost obsolete. 
• Networking and social media: In our busy lives, it has become a challenge to spend time with our friends and to pay social visits to our relatives. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter has changed that. You can share what’s happening in your life (and also your thoughts) on your online profile, as well as know what’s happening in your cousin’s life!!
• Entertainment: Remember the times when you had to queue up for advance booking to watch the latest released movie. The more desperate ones could buy the tickets in “black.” Today, you can book a movie ticket on the Internet and select the theatre, the show timings, and even the seats. Streaming video sites like YouTube allows you watch your favorite movies, videos, and cricket matches at your time and convenience.
• Freelancing and virtual working: Today, we find multitudes of freelancers and employees working virtually from home. This has been possible only because of high-speed Internet. With increasing rentals of commercial offices and traffic problems, many companies offer the work-from-home facility to their employees, as it allows them to save operational costs. As a freelancer, it allows professionals to select the work (and company) that they want to work for, rather than being dependent on a single company. The Internet has facilitated companies to outsource their work to freelancers, and pay them only for the work done, rather than a fixed salary.
• Paying bills: The Internet has been a real savior in terms of convenience and saving time. Instead of queuing up to pay your electricity and other utility bills, you can do the same from the convenience of your home and office. You can make online payment for your electricity, telephone, and insurance premiums using online banking or credit cards. You can also book train and flight tickets without having to stand in any reservation queue. In fact, you can plan and book an entire family vacation package without leaving your home.
• Online shopping: With the advent of the telephones, you could call up your local bania or vegetable vendor to order and get it delivered to your home. With the Internet, you can now shop for your groceries and vegetables online and get them delivered to your doorstep. Online shopping sites for retail items like amazon, myntra, and snapdeal, which allow you buy clothes, books, electronics, and a host of other products, is the latest Internet fad in India.

I still believe that the Internet can impact our world in more ways than the ones listed above. So, here is my wish list of what the Internet should allow us to do:

• Education: I do admit that the Internet has impacted the education field through online education and as a source of knowledge and information. But there is still a lot of potential and scope left. With quality education still out of reach for most children, I believe that the Internet is the only medium through which we can educate majority of our children. With laptops and tablets becoming increasingly affordable, we should be able to achieve the dream of providing them to every child.
• Online voting: SMS voting is pretty common when it comes to selecting our favorite movie star or Indian idol. Using the Internet, it should also be possible to vote for our next government or preferred politician.
• Corruption: With online transactions and visibility of major initiatives using the Internet, Corruption can be reduced (if not, eliminated) to a major degree.

 The Internet is today available not just on PCs or Desktops, but also on multiple devices including mobile phones, tablets, and TV. It is truly exciting to see the next phase of the Internet evolution.